Kiwi pole vaulter Imogen Ayris secures career-best Diamond League finish in Rabat

Monday, 1 June 2026

New Zealand pole vaulter Imogen Ayris secured her first career Diamond League podium finish.

Ayris cleared 4.70m on her second attempt, outperforming eight competitors in the field who held superior personal bests.

The women's pole vault event was won by Australian Olympic champion Nina Kennedy.

Fellow pole vaulter Olivia McTaggart finished tied for fifth while shot putter Tom Walsh finished sixth and steeplechaser Geordie Beamish finished 13th.

New Zealand pole vaulter Imogen Ayris has secured her best career finish on the world stage after outperforming a Diamond League field packed with higher-ranked competitors.

Ayris cleared 4.70m on her second attempt to finish second at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme in Rabat, Morocco.

Entering the event, eight competitors held better personal bests than Ayris. Her second-place finish marks her first time on a Diamond League podium, improving on a fourth-place finish at the same meet in 2025.

Only Australian Olympic champion Nina Kennedy bettered the performance, clearing 4.80m on her first attempt to win the event.

Fellow New Zealander Olivia McTaggart finished in a tie for fifth place after clearing 4.60m.

In other events at the meet, Geordie Beamish finished 13th in the men’s 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8 minutes 16.80 seconds. The race was won by Soufiane El Bakkali, who recorded a world-leading time of 7:57.25.

In the men’s shot put, Tom Walsh finished in sixth place with a throw of 21.24m in the fifth round.

Walsh said he was disappointed with the result.

'It's the best I've moved in the comp this year,' Walsh said. 'I'm feeling really, feeling like I've got a lot of juice in the tank, and, it's just not going to the wheels at the moment.'

Walsh noted that essentially the same field would compete at the next Diamond League event.

'So there's a little bit of redemption after these first two diamond leagues in in my corner to take care of there,' he said.

New Zealand athletes will compete next on the Diamond League circuit on June 4.

Eliza McCartney is scheduled to make her international debut for the year, joining McTaggart in the women’s pole vault, while Walsh will compete again in the men’s shot put.